Soft Systems Methodology and Activity Theory (System Thinking) Essay

Soft Systems Methodology and Activity Theory (System Thinking) - Essay Example Whereas AT inspires theoretical thought in many disciplines – psychology, culture, information systems, education, and management, disciplines that generally apply strategies involving human activity. Many researchers have cited AT as being holistically rich when it comes to understanding how humans conduct activities together with the aid of advanced tools in very dynamic and intricate settings (Adebowale, 2010). The aim of this paper is to critically evaluate how soft systems methodology and activity theory can be used to understand organisational problems. As part of this objective, the essay will also compare and contrast the two approaches and discuss relative strengths and weaknesses. SSM has undergone various modifications and revisions to become more practical, flexible, and relevant to different disciplines and organisational problems. However, SSM’s suitability to various fields has remained the most important asset, one which has not required numerous modifications to remain relevant (Bell, 2013). In addition, SSM is currently used by people who lack a technical background but want to solve complex organisational problems. At the moment, SSM is applied in several main organisational settings or disciplines. For example, in performance evaluation, it is used to develop performance measures, quality assurance processes, and to monitor the organisation. In education, it is used in defining course designs, training requirements, causes of absenteeism and to analyse language teaching. It is also used in project management, personal life decisions, risk management processes, organisational strategy, and industrial tribunal cases (Bozalek and Ambi, 2014). The first stage often involves recognising, exploring and defining the problem in some way. Firstly, the organisation must decide what it is actually investigating. At this stage,

Louisiana Purchase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Louisiana Purchase - Essay Example With the power of France and Napoleon Bonaparte continually rising, Spain signed with France into the Treaty of San Ildefonso which included ceding Louisiana back to France. President Thomas Jefferson grew wary of protecting the interests in New Orleans and the Mississippi as the previous treaty with Spain is in the brink of being revoked. He actively sought to obtain New Orleans and authorized $10 million for its purchase. Luckily, Napoleon’s interest in the Americas was thwarted and he settled his eyes on Europe. Bonaparte sent Talleyrand and Barbe-Marbois who negotiated with Robert Livingston and James Monroe in 1803 for the purchase of the entire Louisiana for $15 million (The Museum Gazette). This was an important milestone in United States history and highlighted the presidency of Jefferson. â€Å"Louisiana doubled the size of the United States literally overnight, without a war or the loss of a single American life, and set a precedent for the purchase of territory† (The Museum Gazette). This became a precedent for the possibility of acquiring territories not only within the continent but including the Pacific. The purchase had oppositions, mainly coming from New England Federalists who felt they were losing grips of their influence because of the expansion. Nevertheless, it was considered as one of the greatest bargains in real estate considering the vastness and size of Louisiana in proportion to its purchase value (Sage